This verse concludes the episode, since the next verse refers to the Israelites as a whole taking action. Here the Hebrew verbs meaning “be” and “see” and the noun for day are repeated.
This verse poses problems for interpreters, since there are two texts, one based on the Hebrew and the other on the Septuagint. Revised Standard Version and several other versions follow the Hebrew text, which is shorter than the ver Septuagintver*, which says: “And all who saw [it] said, ‘Nothing has ever happened or been seen like this from the day the sons of Israel went up out of Egypt until this day.’ And he ordered the men he sent out, saying, ‘This is what you should say to all the Israelite men, “Has anything like this ever happened since the time that the Israelites came up out of Egypt to this day? Therefore consider your decision about it, and speak.” ’ ” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends following this longer and more complex text, which includes a quote within a quote (so also New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible). Translators can decide for themselves which text to follow, but if the Hebrew is not followed, translators should probably indicate this in a footnote as New Revised Standard Version has done.
And all who saw it said: The connector And is literally “And it was,” which seems to announce the end of this unit. Though Good News Translation and many other English versions omit it, it would be good to use an appropriate transition here. All who saw it does not mean that the people of Israel were present when the Levite cut up his concubine, but rather that they either saw or heard about the body parts and realized what had actually taken place. All repeats the “all” of the previous clause. The pronoun it, which is added by Revised Standard Version, refers back to the action of the Levite. All who saw it may be rendered “all who heard [or, realized] what had happened.” In this context some languages may prefer to translate the general verb said as “cried out” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).
Such a thing has never happened or been seen …: There are two parallel expressions here in Hebrew, literally “It has not happened and it has not been seen like this….” The Hebrew verbs meaning “be” and “see” are repeated here from the previous clause. Revised Standard Version makes Such a thing the subject of the two verbs, giving a natural rendering in English. The people are certainly not referring to the Levite’s butchering of his concubine, but rather her treatment by the men of the town of Gibeah and her consequent death. In many languages it will be necessary to render the passive verb been seen as an active one, for example, “Nothing like this has ever happened. No one has ever seen [anything] like this….” Contemporary English Version says simply “Nothing like this has ever happened….” Translators need to maintain the strong emphasis here.
From the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day: The people’s reaction is one of astonishment, because they had never heard of anything like this happening in the entire history of Israel. The point of reference for most Israelites was the escape from Egypt. This was the event that turned the patriarchal families into a nation. By referring to this period, the people are saying since they had been a nation, nothing like this has ever happened. However, the irony is evident, since it seems unreasonable to compare the positive event of the deliverance from slavery with this horrible incident. This may be yet another example of how fuzzy the judgment and the reasoning of the Israelites had become.
From the day that … does not refer to a specific day, so it may be rendered “from the time that….” The people of Israel is literally “the sons [or, children] of Israel” (see verse 1.1). Came up out of the land of Egypt is the standard phrase referring to the Israelites’ departure from Egypt (see comments on verse 2.1). Until this day does not refer to the present time, but to the time of the speakers (see verse 1.21). We might say “from the time that we Israelites left Egypt up to the present time.”
Consider it, take counsel, and speak: These three short clauses pose some problems for interpreters. Are they the words of those who have just spoken, that is, the Israelites who are showing their shock at what happened? Or are they rather expressing the words of the Levite as he exhorts the Israelites? Or do these words come from the narrator, exhorting his audience? The previous words express the thoughts of many Israelites, so Revised Standard Version and some other versions think that these commands continue to express the people’s thoughts. Good News Translation, for example, includes these words as part of their previous remark, saying “We have to do something about this! What will it be?” If this interpretation is followed, then these imperatives may be expressed as statements of strong determination by saying “We need to consider this and let people know what we think.”
However, the versions that follow the ver Septuagintver* consider these clauses as part of the Levite’s instructions to the messengers concerning what to say to the Israelites. The Levite tells the messengers to tell the people who receive the gruesome gift, “Take this to heart, discuss it; then give your verdict” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New Revised Standard Version).
While it is also possible that the narrator is addressing the readers directly, this stylistic feature is not common in this book. In the appendices the narrator does make the solemn observation that there were no kings in Israel and therefore everyone did what was right in his own eyes. However, there is never a direct address to the audience from the narrator. Therefore this interpretation should probably be excluded. Translators should choose between the Hebrew and Greek renderings, but once again, if the Hebrew text is not followed, this should probably be indicated in a footnote.
The three Hebrew verbs rendered consider, take counsel and speak form a unit. The first two verbs are close in meaning, calling on the people to give thought to what has happened. Consider it is literally “put to yourselves on it,” which means “put your minds to it.” Take counsel renders a rare Hebrew verb, only also seen in Isa 8.10, when the foreign nations are told to come together and plan for war. Contemporary English Version says “talk it over” and NET Bible, “Discuss it,” which seem good models. The Israelites are not seeking counsel outside their group, as Revised Standard Version might imply. Speak is a literal rendering of the simple Hebrew verb dabar. But translators might use other expressions, such as “Tell us what to do!” (New International Version). New Jerusalem Bible‘s “give your verdict” may be a little too formal since this is not a court situation. We might also use a question, such as “What should we do?” In some languages the three commands may need to be reduced to two, for example, “Think about this together and say what you think.”
Translation models for this verse are:
• Everyone who saw this said, “Nothing like this has ever happened. We have never seen anything so awful since we left Egypt. We have to think about this seriously and let people know what we think.”
• Everyone who heard what had happened said, “A thing as horrifying as this has never happened before. We have never seen anything like this ever since we came up from Egypt. Get together and discuss it and decide what to do.”
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .